Crane brake



'W. G. WEHR May 7, 1940.

mmm BRAKE .Filed April 13. 1937 2 Sheets-Sheetv 1 HWENTQR W/L mM 6. WSH@ M my@ ATTORNEYS Mayv, '1940.

v 2 m RM t m 4E m A m n.. W 1 H M M H2. B m6 m.m. :uw mE E ww Z a f w mw. n u@ Ew# ;:z a :N vh/ ll/ Y ATTORNEYS Patented May 7, 1940 i 'UNITED STATES PATENT oEFlcE CRANE BRAKE William George Wehr, Wickliile, Ohio, assignor to The Cleveland Crane & Engineering Company, Wickliffe, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application April 13, 1937, Serial No. 136,589

Claims. (Cl. 188-151) The present invention relates to hydraulic along the rails, only one of which is shown in brake apparatus, and particularly to hydraulic the drawings, is effected by an electric motor B brake apparatus for traveling cranes. supported on the bridge A and operatively con- An object of the invention is the provision of nected to `one of the Wheels of each of the end a novel and improved hydraulic brake apparatus trucks through the medium of reduction gears l which will beinexpensive to manufacture, rugged I0 and I I, the piniOn ll 0f which is fixed t0 in construction, and which will withstand the the left hand end 0f a Shaft l2 extending the abuses to which itis subjected in operation. length 0f the bridge- The Shaft l2 1S c0nneeted Another object of the present invention is the With the armature shaft Il 0f the n10t01` B by 1 provision 0f a novel and improved ,hydraulic reduction gears, not shOWIl, but located inside 1 brake apparatus comprising a closed hydraulic 0f the gear Case |3 The Supply 0f electrical systemvfrom which the 1iquid cannot leak, energy to the motor B is controlled from a con- Another object of the present invention is the troller 9 10Cated in the Cage C, .in a conventional provision 0f a, novel and improved hydraulic manner. The right hand end Of the Crane, not

brake apparatus for traveling cranes. ShOWn in the drawings, iS Similar in COHStIuC- u Another object of the present invention is the tiOntO the end which is Shown and one or more provision of a novel and improved hydraulic 0f the Wheels 0f the right hand end truck are brake apparatus for traveling cranes comprising operatively COIlneCted t0 the right hand end Of a liquid reservoir. located above the hydraulic the Shaft l2 by reduCtiOn gears Similar t0 the m pressure actuated motor connected to the movgears l0 and Il. From the foregoing description 20 able brake element which motor is, in turn, it will be apparent that the crane is adapted to located above the pressure producing means. be mOi/ed in a direction hrnlal t0 the plane 0f Further objects and advantages of the presthe paper by power applied to both ends thereof. ent invention will be apparent from the follow- In general the hydraulic brake apparatus 0f Au ing description of the preferred embodiment the present hVentiOn COmpriSeS a luid Pressure thereof described with reference to the accomproducing means D located in the cage C, brake panying drawings, forming a part of this specimechanism pIOper COmpIiSihg a Huid pressure cation, in which similar reference characters' actuated mOtOl E operatively Connected t0 the designate corresponding parts throughout the wheels of the end trucks, in the present instance several views,and in which: Y through the shaft l2, eta, and a' liquid reservoir 30 Fig. 1 is a partial elevation of a traveling crane F located above both the uid pressure producembodying thepresent invention; ing means D and the fluid pressure actuated Fig 2 is a partial section on the une 2 2 of motor E. All of the aforesaid units are connected Fig 1; together in whatmay be called a closed system 35 Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 by the necessary conduits etc. In the present 2,5y

with portions shown in elevation; instance the braking force is applied tothe arma- Fig. 4 is a plan view of the treadle actuated ture shaft Il of the motor B as. is the usual fluid pressure producing means located in the practise in the Crane art, and for this purpose Cage of the crane; l the armature shaft I4 is extended towards the o Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; left and provided with a brake drum I5 keyed 40 Fig. 6 is a. side view orFig. 5 looking from thereto, which cooperates with a plurality of the right, and f brake shoes I6.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a The'brake shoes I6 are carried by members portion of Fig. 5. I1 and I8 pivotally connected to a stationary 5 'Ihe traveling crane shown in Fig. 1 `of the base member I9 which in turn is secured either 45 drawings is of conventional construction except t0 the base 0f the InOtOll B 0l' directly t0 the for the hydraulic brake apparatus employed and `bridge 0f the Crane. The upper end of the mem- Will not be described in detail. Suice it to say ber 'I'|, see Fig. 3, is enlarged and bored out as that the reference character 'A designates a at 20 to receive the cylinder 2I of the fluid presbridgev uponI which a trolley carrying the hoist sure actuated motor E, which motor also includes 50 mechanism, not shown, is adapted to travel. The a piston 22 reciprocable within the cylinder 2|. bridge A is carried on end trucks which are The cylinder 2| of th'fluid pressure actuated adapted to travel along rails suitably supported motor is secured in an aperture 20 in a suitable by the building structure etc., adjacent opposite manner and the member I1 forms a closure for ends of the bridge. l Movement of the bridge A the right hand end thereof, see Fig'` 3: Fluid 55 supplied to and dischargedfrom thle `right hand end of cylinder bore through the medium of passages 23 and 24 formed in the member I1, and a pipe or tube 25 connected therewith and with the uid pressure producing means D lo` catedin the cage. The member I8 of the brake mechanism proper is operatively connected to the piston 22 by link members 28. 'I'he con-1 the crane is moving and, for this purpose, proy vision is made in the present instance-to return to the storage reservoir any liquid which may escape past the piston packing 28 of the motor E. Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the piston 22 is provided with an annular groove 29 intermediate its ends, which groove is connected to or communicates with the storage reservoir F through passages 30, 3| and 32 formed in then piston, and a pipe or tube 3 3 connecting with the passage 32 and the reservoir F. Where the piston 22 projects through the left hand end of the cylinder 2I a suitable packing gland 34 and packing 35 are provided for the purpose of preventing the escape of liquid at this point.

The pressure producing means D, see Figs. 4, 5 and 6, comprises a cylinder 38. within the bore of which a 'treadle actuated plunger 39 is adapted to reciprocate. The cylinder 38 consists of a tubular member 48, the lower end of which is closed by a plug 4I while `the upper end thereof,

through which the plunger 38 projects, is provided with a packing gland 42. The upper end of the cylinder bore is counterbored to receive the packing gland 42 and suitable packing which consists of a plurality of packing washers 44 interposed between metal washers 45 located both above and below a rigid member 46. The lower end of the piston 39 is enlarged or provided with a shoulder or boss 41 which engages the lower washer 45 overhanging the cylinder bore, and limits the upward movement of the piston 39 under the action of compression spring 58 located in the cylindrical bore and which spring continuously urges the plunger 39 in an upward direction.

The lower end of the spring rests on the plug il and the upper end thereof extends into a counterbore 5I infthe lower end of the piston 39. The member 46 which is preferably made of metal has bothinternal and external annular grooves 52 and 53, respectively, formed therein. The grooves 52 and 53 are in communication with eachI other through passages 54 in the'member and the internal groove is in communication with the cylinder bore when the plunger is in its raised position, shown in Fig. 5, through the'medium of horizontal and vertical passages 55 and 56, re-

spectively, in the piston which passages communicate with each other and with the'groove 52 in the member 46 and the bore 5I in the plunger the brake I 2,199,888 pressure or uid under pressure is adapted to be` 'I'he pipe or tube `25 which connects the pressure -producing means with the brakelmechanism proper. enters the cylinder bore below the plunger. 38 through a passage 68. The construction is such that the uid system'between the plunger 3 9 of the pressure producing means vD and' the piston 2I of the uid pressure actuated motor E is constantly maintained run' or 1iquid. Any liquid which escapes from the system while the plunger is depressed, as around the piston 2 I, is compensated for by the entry of fluid from the reservoir via the pipe or tube 59 etc. when the plunger is returned 'to its' up position. The grooves 52 and 53 are elongated axially of the cylinder bore so that they will align with the passages 55 and 58 for various adjustments of ,the plunger packing. A threaded-aperture 6I -in the member I1 opening into the cylinder bore 28 of the uid'pressure actuated motor E and closed by a plug 62` facilitates the initial filling of the system with liquid, as the plug 62 can-'be lreadily removed to permit the escape of air trapped4 in the system. f Y

'Ihe cylinder 38 of the pressure producing member D is ixed, as by weldingrto a circular plate 65 supported by the floor 66 ofthe cage C through the medium of a ring-shaped .member 61 positioned thereunder, and a plurality of pins 68 fixed `in both the plate 65 and the floorl 66. As previously stated, the plunger 39-istread1e operated and for this purposethe upper end ofthe .plunger is pivotally connected by alpinl 10 to a pedal 1I intermediate the ends of the pedal. The right hand end of the pedal 1I, A asviewed .inFig. 5, is pivotally connected to the uppenend of va-link 12 by a pin 13, and the lowervend -of the linkv 12 is in turn pivotally ,connected-by a kpin.14 to a projection or member 15 fixed to 1a part of the member 61 which projects out from 1 underneath the circular plate 65. The pins 68 extendthrough the central opening -in the ring-like member61 and the construction is such that the member 61, together with the link 12 and the pedal 1I, etc., can be rotated or adjusted about the axis of the cylinder bore so that the pedal may be positioned at any convenient angle.

From the foregoing description of the preferred embodiment of the invention it'will be apparent that the objects of the invention heretofore enumeratedhave been attained and that a new and improved hydraulic brake apparatus especially adapted for traveling cranes has been provided. While the preferred embodiment of theinventlon has been described with considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the particular construe'- tion shown, which may be varied Within the scopeof this invention. It is my intention to cover hereby all adaptations, modications and uses thereof which come within the practice of those lskilled in the art to which the invention relates, and I particularly point out and claim as my invention the following: f

1. In a traveling crane the combination of'a bridge, a cagesus'pended fromthe bridge, hy` draulically operated friction brake 'apparatus comprising a movable braking element carriedbyv the bridge and located above the cage, a hydraulically actuated motor comprising a cylinder and a piston reciprocable therein operatively connected to said movable braking element for acsaid hydraulically actuated motor, a liquid resltuating the same, means located in the cage for 1 ervoir carried by said bridge and located above 7;

element for actuating the same, a .cylinder 1 0-kA -cated in the cage, a conduit connected to said said hydraulically actuated motor, and means for connecting a portion of said cylinder located adjacent the low pressure side of the head of said piston lwith said reservoir.

2. In a traveling crane the combination of a bridge, a cage suspended from the bridge, hydrulically-operated friction brake apparatus comprising a movablevbrake element carried by the bridge and located above the cage, a. hydraulically-actuated motor comprising a cylinder and a piston reciprocable therein located adjacent to andoperatively conn :ated to said movable brake cylinder and said hydraulically-actuated motor for establishing communication therebetween, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder, means for moving said piston in said cylinder, a liquid reservoir carried by said bridge and located above said hydraulically-actuated motor, and a conduit connected to said cylinder and said reservoir for 1establishing communication therebetween when )n said piston is in its retracted position.

` WILLIAM GEORGE WEHR. 

